The Island Storm snatched a tightly fought defensive game from the Moncton Magic in the first game of their home-and-home series on Sunday afternoon at the Eastlink Centre.

Franklin Session drained a quick three-pointer to start the Storm off fast before former Storm player, Terry Thomas, helped the Magic battle back. After each team traded blows back-and-forth the Storm finished the first quarter down 23-20 to the Magic.

The Storm locked the game down defensively in the second quarter winning the turnover and rebound game. Session dug in for the Storm playing a hard, full-court game with neither team able to pull away, finishing the first half with the Storm trailing the Magic 45-42.

Andre Stringer, Tyler Scott and Session began chipping away at the Magic lead in the third quarter while Chris Johnson and Marcus Bell locked down the defense before the hard work started to pay off. By the end of the quarter the Storm cut the Magic lead down to 63-62.

The Storm’s offense took over in the fourth quarter, led by Session and Stringer. After Du’Vaughn Maxwell’s big block on Thomas with one minute to play the Magic turned the ball over again with 3.1 seconds to play and the game tied at 85.

Stringer inbounded the ball to Session who knocked back the clutch three-pointer as the buzzer sounded and the Storm finished with an 88-85 win.

The Storm hit the road next to face Moncton and Halifax before returning home on Thursday, Dec. 14, 7 p.m. at the Eastlink Centre.